The Road to Care

Enter Rebecca Donnelly, a second-year student in Touro’s Doctor of Physical Therapy program in Manhattan. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she sometimes drives the same Westchester woman to dialysis. On other days, she may take someone to the dentist, a physical therapy appointment or a doctor’s office.

Donnelly volunteers with Transportation Resources Access (TRA), a nonprofit that provides free rides to adults over 65 with functional limitations and adults over 21 with visual impairments. “I’m fortunate to have my own vehicle,” Donnelly said. “When I saw what they did, I thought, this is something simple that I can do to help.”

Donnelly, who is from Yorktown Heights in northern Westchester, found TRA while searching for volunteer work. The Doctor of Physical Therapy program requires students to complete 25 hours of service, and TRA appealed to her because she could select rides that fit around her class schedule.

To become a driver, Donnelly submitted her vehicle registration and insurance information, completed an orientation and underwent a background check. She began giving rides in June and has completed approximately 15 volunteer hours so far, but she expects to continue after she reaches the required total.

“As long as I have the time, I want to keep doing it,” she said. “Once you’re registered, you can pick up rides when you’re available.”

Before a trip, Donnelly calls the passenger to introduce herself and confirm the pickup time. When she arrives, she may help the person get into and out of the car or assist someone who uses a walker or cane. Her passengers have included older adults receiving dialysis and people living with lupus, chronic illnesses and mobility limitations.

The work overlaps with skills she is developing as a physical therapy student. “These are movements I may be helping patients with in the future,” Donnelly said. “I’m learning how to work with people who use assistive devices and need help getting out of the house or into the car.”

The trips also give her a chance to hear directly from people managing illnesses and treatments she has studied in class. “You learn about a disease in school, and then you’re sitting with someone who is actually living with it,” she said. “You get to hear what that experience is like from them.”

Not every conversation is about health. Donnelly and her passengers talk about coffee, music and whatever else comes up during the drive. She sometimes asks what they would like to listen to and puts on music for the trip.

“For some people, the ride and having someone to talk to might be one of a limited number of social interactions that day,” she said. “I ask how they’re feeling, and we talk about whatever they want to talk about.”

Donnelly’s own introduction to physical therapy came through dance. She began taking classes at age four and trained in ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical and contemporary dance. At 16, she developed Achilles tendinitis and went to physical therapy.

“I was already very interested in science and math,” she said. “Once I learned more about physical therapy and saw how it helped me, I thought it would be a good career for me.”

She continued dancing at the University of Tampa, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in allied health with a concentration in pre-physical therapy. She pursued a dance minor for two years and took part in university productions as well as performances with Unified Dance Crew, a dance organization on campus. She also was a member of Alpha Chi Omega and held a leadership role for UT's Panhellenic Board, a governing board for Greek life.

When Donnelly began looking at doctoral programs, she wanted to study in New York City and remain close to its dance community. Her goal is to work in dance rehabilitation and treat ballet dancers and other performing artists.

Touro’s Manhattan location, research opportunities and clinical connections drew her to the program. She was especially interested in its relationships with clinics that treat dancers.

“I was sold on it when I met the faculty and students,” she said. “Everyone was welcoming, and they were very clear about the expectations and the support we would receive.”

Her work with TRA has introduced her to people facing many of the mobility problems physical therapists address. According to Donnelly, the organization receives hundreds of ride requests each month, and each trip usually takes an hour or two, depending on the distance and the appointment.

One passenger recently asked whether Donnelly could take her to a store after an appointment. For Donnelly, requests like that are another reminder of how much a reliable ride can matter.

“If I can make someone’s day a little easier,” she said, “that makes me happy.”